Spray nozzle



May s, 1945. J. G. DE FLON 2,375,528

SPRAY NozzLE Filed April 13, 1943 IN VEN TOR,

Patented May 1945 James G. De Flon, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor Fluor Corporation, Ltd., Los Angel tonie' Calif., a lcorporation of California Application April 13, 1943, Serial No. 482,857

. 1 claim. 5cl. zas-121) This invention pertains to improvements in .4

spray nozzles of the kind used in water cooling towers, and particularly ofthe multiple and differential size plate or baille type inwhich a portion of the stream of vwater directed downwardly against the central apertured portion of an upper banie, is deected by and sprak# outwardly from the baille surface, and the remaining portion-of the water-'is passed by the baille opening to strike and become deflected'by one or more baiiles below.

In operation, nozzles of this type deflect the water outwardly in a succession of super-imtire area This, heretofore, has been an objectionable performance feature of multiple plate nozzles, and

is the principal disadvantage whichthe present invention aims to improve and correct. In accordancewith the invention, the indlvid ual plates of the nozzle assembly are given different shape and surface characteristics in order that together, they will result in the formation of non-interfering sprays together producing a composite spray giving uniformdistribution of the total watenover an entire area encompassed by the widest spray. It is preferred to use a top posed individual sprays corresponding in numl ber to the number of bailies, all in a manner tending to project the water over a desired area and to cool the water by virtue of its fine particle dispersion and aeration. Nozzles of this mul-Q tiple baille type have given good results generally with respect to their water distributing and cooling capacities, due tol a large extent to the par- -ticular forms and water `dispersing characteristics of the individual baiiles. Typical of such known nozzles are those disclosed in Tappen Patent No. 2,005,600 showing a centrally apertured baille plate with a raised neck portion about the aperture, and in Phillips Patent No. 1,877,046 in which the plate has a substantially' flat area about its central aperture. One characteristic of the Tappen plate is its ability, vresulting largely from its centrally necked form, to project the water outwardly over a wide radius. A particular advantage of the Phillips type of flat surface plate is its tendency to create on the plate itself a degree of turbulence and preliminary aeration of the water resulting in the formation of a finely divided andwell dispersed spray.

For maximum efficiency lt is important that .i

the top plate distribute the spray over an outer annularl area, and that the plate Vnext below disperse itsspray over an adjacent innerannular plate or baille adapted to project its spray over a comparatively wide radius, and for this purpose I employ a substantially flat v(outer) surliace baille, for example the type shown in the above mentioned Tappen patent. The second or next lowerv plate is designed to limit its water throw to substantially the inner radius of the top bale spray, and to give substantial turbulence and aeration to the water on the surface of encompassed by the outermost spray..

the baille. For this purpose` the general WDG 0f f baille shown in the Phillips patent is suited. Al-

thou'gh the nozzle assembly may comprise any suitable number of individual plates, I have shown herein, as illustrative, a three baille nozzle in which the water passing through the second baffle strikes a convex surface of a third baille shaped to throw its spray within an area inside the inner lradius of the second baille spray, the

three sprays thus giving successive and uniform water distribution.

Further objectives and details will be more fully understood from the description to follow, throughout which reference is had to the acconb panying drawinginwhich;

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, showing a preferred embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan on section 2-2 v errug. 1.' v

area, and so on as additional plates are used,

'so that as far as practicable the individual plate Although theindividual parts4 of the nozzle may be assembled in any desired manner, it is preferred to make the entire nozzle as a single casting. The nozzle may be made of any desired material, such as metals' or plastics, e. g., Bakelite, suitablefor casting or molding.

The nozzle comprises a threaded inlet I0 adapted to be attached to a water supply pipe, and a frame structure including .a pair of oppositely disposed arms or brackets Il which carry the plates or baiiles i2, I3 and Il. The baille supports are re-enforced by webs Il, II and I'l'cast integrally with the frame and bailles as illustrated. Water entering the inlet is directed downwardly through a convergent throat I8 which centers the water stream, at the proper velocity, upon the top baille I2.

Batlle I2 comprises a circular disc I9 having a central opening 2l)v in axial alinement with throat I8 in the head of the nozzle. 'I'he plate has about the opening 20 an annular raised or necked portion 2| having a top beveled surface 22 forming a sharpwater diversion edge 23. Be-

- low surface22 the upset has an outward flare 24 terminating in a surrounding substantially flat surface 25. The periphery 26 of the disc may be rounded or otherwise sloped, substantially as illustrated, to provide a fairly sharp edge 2l at which the water leaves the disc. feature of the top baille is its substantially ilat surface, although the raised neck feature also is desirable since both features tend to give this desired wide spread to the projected spray. y y The second baille I3 has a central aperture 28 alined with and having a smaller diameter than opening 2l) in the discabove. form of a circular disc` 29, the top surface of which extends horizontally at 30 from the edge of the aperture 28.` While surface 30 may have a slight outward slope, it is preferred for best results that it be flat, or substantially truly horizontal, and that it extend radially from the axial center of the plate a distance which is atleast about'one-fourth the plate radius, and less than about one-half that radius. Beyond surface 30, the top of the disc has a convex curvature at 3I extending to the beveled edge 32 of the disc. It is preferred that the radial extent of thek convex surface 3I be at least about one-half the radius of the disc.

The bottom baille I1 preferably has a continu- The important Baille I3 has the' ously convex surface 33 of considerably greater curvature than the convex surface 3| of the plate above, and is positioned symmetrically with rela--` tion to the vertical axis of the nozzle so that water passing through aperture 28 strikes the top central area of surface 33 and becomes deflected l uniformly in all directions.

An outer annular portion of the water stream directed against the top baille I2 is diverted by the upset 2I outwardly over the horizontal sur-l face 21, and is projected in a uniformly dispersed 1 50 fle. 'I'he combined effects of the upset 2l and the spray into the atmosphere surrounding the bafhorizontal surface 21, cause the water to become projected in a comparatively wide spray pattern encompassing, as it falls below the nozzle, a relatively large area. opening 20 and striking the top horizontal surface of the baille I3, is deflected outwardly and downwardly over the convex surface 3I', shape of the resulting spray pattern however is somewhat different from the pattern of the spray .leaving the top baffle I2, due to the tendency of the flat surface to cause greater turbulencev and aeration of the water on the plate, and the effect ofthe convex surface 3I in causing the Water flowing through1 The spray to assume a more downward course than it would take in the absence of the convex-shape, With the baille and apertures dimensioned substantially as shown, the spray leaving baille I3 ultimately in its course of fall will extend outward to Iabout the inside of the spray projected from the top baille I2, but without any considerable overlapping or interference of thesprays.

The water falling from aperture 28 onto the convex surface 33 of the bottom baille is given still greater downward direction and at an angularit;- such that the radial extent of the resulting spray reaches the inner spread of the spray from baffle I3, but again without considerable overlapping or interference of the two sprays. The combined effect of the bailesi'thus is to produce a composite spray having at a distance below the entire area between the outermost extent of the top spray. and the innermost extent of the bottom spray.

While'the invention has been described with reference to a specifically illustrated nozzle assembly, it will be understood that lvarious mino;` changes in the shapes and dimensions of the parts may be made without departure from the intended spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

A spray nozzle comprising a top baille having a centrally located annular raised and oownwardly flared portion containing an opening and surrounded by a horizontal surface extending to substantially the edge of the baille, means for directing a stream of water downwardiyagainst the top of the baille and through said opening so that a portion of said stream is deflected outwardly along said surface and is dispersed therefrom in a relatively wide spray by reason of the horizontal extent of the surface, a second baille spaced below said top baille and having an aperture smaller than and alined with said opening, said second baille having a top surface extending substantially horizontally from said aperture to a surrounding convex surface along which a second portion of said stream passed through said opening is deilected outwardly and downwardly from the baille in a second spray which is mainly confined to the inside of said rst spray by reason of the convexity of said second baille surface, and` a third baille spaced below said second bale and having a top convex surface of greater convexity f than said convex surface ofthe second baille and JAMES G. DE FLON. 

